Local teacher surprised with $25k award
BROWNSBURG, Ind. (WISH) — A local teacher received a big surprise Tuesday.
The Indiana Department of Education announced that high school teacher Kristen Lents won the Milken Educator Award and $25,000. Lents teaches math at Harris Academy, a non-traditional school that serves students in Brownsburg and Avon.
According to the IDOE, last year 98 percent of Lents’ students earned their math credits.
“I love the everyday interactions with the students,” Lents said. “I love building these relationships with these kids, and having a chance to impact them and speak into their lives on a bigger level than just teaching them the math problems. I love that too.”
The Milken Educator Awards are billed as the Oscars of teaching and have provided teachers with more than $138 million in awards over 30 years.